“He wasn’t the sort of person who would do that. Everybody I’ve spoken to has said exactly the same thing.”

The inquest heard how in his suicide note Mr McCrea spoke about financial ‘concerns’. However, Mrs McCrea told the hearing she was not aware of any problems.

She added: “We had a small amount of credit card debt but we had no overdraft at all with the business, everything was paid and up-to-date.

“I did all the books and the business was very healthy.”

Coroner Michael Singleton recorded a conclusion that he had taken his own life.

He said: “It seems to me the mind is capable of going to some very dark places which we don’t understand or can’t fathom.

"Quite why it should be that Jamie felt so, in his words, ‘spiritually burnt out’ and get to that stage and not be able to in any way articulate that, seek help or support for that is difficult to understand but not by any means unique or unusual.”